PEOPLES RIGHTS CONFRONTING CORPORATE POWER IN LATIN AMERICA

This report by Friends of the Earth International documents systemic human rights and environmental violations by transnational corporations (TNCs) across eight Latin American and Caribbean countries. It highlights cases of corporate impunity, the use of investor-state dispute settlement mechanisms to challenge public health and environmental policies, and the violent suppression of territory defenders. The document advocates for a legally binding international treaty to hold TNCs accountable and the creation of an International Tribunal on Human Rights and Transnational Corporations.

• The collapse of the Fundão dam on November 5, 2015, operated by Samarco (a joint venture between BHP Billiton and Vale), is described as one of the largest socio-environmental crimes in Brazil's history. The disaster released 62 million cubic meters of sludge, killing 19 people and affecting 3.5 million people's access to drinking water in the Rio Doce basin.
• In Mexico, the Canadian mining company Blackfire Exploration is linked to the murder of environmental leader Mariano Abarca Roblero on November 27, 2009. The report alleges that the company used criminal accusations to harass Abarca and that the Mexican State failed to protect him, prioritizing corporate interests and requests from the Canadian Embassy.
• The Agua Zarca hydroelectric project in Honduras, developed by Desarrollos Energéticos SA (DESA), is associated with the murder of activist Berta Cáceres on March 2, 2016. The project was established without consulting the Lenca indigenous community of Rio Blanco, violating ILO Convention 169.
• Philip Morris International (PMI) used the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) to sue Uruguay over public health laws that required health warnings to cover 80% of cigarette packs. While the tribunal eventually acquitted Uruguay, the report cites this as a strategy to intimidate states implementing WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control obligations.
• Argentina faced significant financial penalties from ICSID after recovering its water and sanitation company, Aguas y Saneamiento SA (AySA), from private concessionaires including Suez. The report notes that Argentina has faced 59 international arbitration claims, the highest number of any country, often resulting in huge payments to private firms.
• El Salvador successfully defeated a claim by Pacific Rim/Oceana Gold at ICSID, and the Legislative Assembly passed a law on March 29, 2017, banning metal mining in the country. This followed years of opposition and reports of violence, including the murder of eight people in the Cabañas department.
• In Costa Rica, the expansion of pineapple monoculture plantations by companies like Del Monte and Dole has led to significant deforestation (5,568.98 hectares between 2000 and 2015) and water pollution from agrochemicals in regions such as Guapiles and Siquirres.
• In Guatemala, the Ixquisis community in San Mateo Ixtatán resisted hydroelectric projects (Pojom I, Pojom II, and San Andrés) promoted by Promoción y Desarrollo Hídrico SA (PDHSA). Despite a 2009 community consultation where 99% of the population rejected such projects, the State authorized their construction.
• The report argues that Bilateral Investment Treaties (BITs) and Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) create an 'architecture of impunity' by allowing TNCs to sue states in biased arbitration tribunals while providing no similar international legal mechanism for affected communities to sue corporations.
• The document recommends the creation of a binding international treaty and an autonomous International Tribunal on Human Rights and Transnational Corporations to ensure mandatory compliance and the supremacy of human rights over commercial laws.

APA

Viana, A., Soto, G. C., Silva, M. A. C., Garay, M. E. Z., Salvático, N., Villarreal, A., Vásquez, A. M., Porras, M., Palacios, E. H., Grijalva, B. T., Herrera, R., & Raymundo, E. R. (2017). PEOPLES RIGHTS CONFRONTING CORPORATE POWER IN LATIN AMERICA. Friends of the Earth International. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/ATALC_english_2017-WEB.pdf

Chicago

Viana, Arthur, Gustavo Castro Soto, Martha Alejandra Canales Silva, Mario Ernesto Zavala Garay, Natalia Salvático, Alberto Villarreal, Ana María Vásquez, et al. PEOPLES RIGHTS CONFRONTING CORPORATE POWER IN LATIN AMERICA. Friends of the Earth International, 2017. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/ATALC_english_2017-WEB.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Viana |first1=Arthur |last2=Soto |first2=Gustavo Castro |last3=Silva |first3=Martha Alejandra Canales |last4=Garay |first4=Mario Ernesto Zavala |last5=Salvático |first5=Natalia |last6=Villarreal |first6=Alberto |last7=Vásquez |first7=Ana María |last8=Porras |first8=Mariana |last9=Palacios |first9=Eric Hernández |display-authors=etal |title=PEOPLES RIGHTS CONFRONTING CORPORATE POWER IN LATIN AMERICA |publisher=Friends of the Earth International |date=October 2017 |url=https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/ATALC_english_2017-WEB.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{viana2017peoples, author = {Viana, Arthur and Soto, Gustavo Castro and Silva, Martha Alejandra Canales and Garay, Mario Ernesto Zavala and Salvático, Natalia and Villarreal, Alberto and Vásquez, Ana María and Porras, Mariana and Palacios, Eric Hernández and Grijalva, Basilio Tzoy and Herrera, Ruben and Raymundo, Elías Raymundo}, title = {{PEOPLES RIGHTS CONFRONTING CORPORATE POWER IN LATIN AMERICA}}, institution = {Friends of the Earth International}, year = {2017}, month = oct, url = {https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/ATALC_english_2017-WEB.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }